Portable fire screen



PORTABLE FIRE SCREEN June 3, 1952 J, HYMAN 2,598,997

Filed Jan. 16, 1946 :E'IEJ.

/7 I INVENTOR.

' JOSEPH e. HYMA/V Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE FIRE SCREEN Joseph R. Hyman, Oakland, Calif.

v Application January 16, 1946, Serial No. 641,461

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a protective device adapted for use as fireplace shields to confine fiying embers within the fireplace opening.

An object of the invention is to provide a portabe firescreen equipped with swinging doors by means of which the fireplace may be opened or closed as desired without the present necessity of bodily moving aside and replacing the firescreen and its supporting structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a firescreen designed to reduce leakage of ashes from the fireplace under the firescreen structure and onto the hearth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable firescreen adapted to closely hug the face of the fireplace.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a firescreen structure adapted to stand free and contiguously parallel with the face of a fireplace, means to stabilize the firescreen structure against the likelihood of its overbalancing and falling away from the face of the fireplace.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a portable firescreen structure which, due to its minimized projection outwardly from the face of the fireplace is less conspicuous and provides less obstruction to movement of persons before the fireplace than the conventional types of firescreen.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following de scription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a frontal perspective view of a fireplace showing the firescreen of my invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the firescreen doors in open position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure l. Portions of the view are broken away to shorten it.

The more common types of firescreens consist of a frame, carrying wire cloth or other perforate material, which may beset in front of and to overlie the fireplace opening. These screens, in order to possess the stability necessary to maintain them in static upright positions, are usually provided with lateral base members which extend considerably outwardly across the hearth or are fitted with side wing sections movable to assume angular positions relative to the main section so as to effect the aforesaid stability. In these types of devices it is necessary, in order to provide full frontal access to the fireplace, to move them aside each time that fuel is to be added to the fire or in the event that raking of the firebed is desired. In other types of firescreens, the supporting frame is built into or connected with the masonry bordering the fireplace opening and are provided with sliding or otherwise movable screen sections to close the opening. The principal objections to the former portable types of firescreen are that the screens themselves or base structures thereof must ex; tend unduly onto the hearth, where they form annoying obstructions to free movements on or across the hearth, and that when they are moved aside to rake or to add fuel to the fire no protection whatever is afforded against burning embers being shot from the fire outwardly into the room. The permanently installed screens are more desirable in some respects since they may occupy a position substantially flush with the face of the fireplace but their blackened and heat-seared appearance would be an eyesore to the average person. .In addition, the permanent installations do not permit the use of lamplighted devices simulating glowing log fires which many persons install in their fireplaces for decorative effect during seasons when actual hearth fires are not used.

I have provided a portable firescreen which overcomes the undesirable features of the previously proposed portable types and which incorporates the more desirable features of the permanent types. In detail, the firescreen comprises a channel-section bottom member 6 having angle iron side members I rising from the opposite ends thereof and a channel iron top member 8 extending between the upper ends of the side members. Each of the members is welded or otherwise secured at its junctions with the adj acent members to form a rectangular supporting frame sufficiently large to completely cover the average-sized fireplace opening. Brackets 9 attached to the side members I are provided for supporting the frame in a vertically upright position. The brackets 9 may be formed as shown of sections of strap metal, each secured by a weld II or otherwise to a frontal portion of the side member, or the brackets may be hinged, in

any known manner, to the vertical end surfaces topple over forwardly" away from the opening. 9 Within the frame opening is placed one or more doors each comprising a pressed metal frame M of channel-shaped cross-sectional form having a center panel 16 formed of wire cloth, ex- I rial, the panel being secured in place by compressing it between the flanges of the frame H! or in any other suitable manner. Pivot pins i! secured in the top and bottom frame members 8 and 6 respectively engage in' holes pierced in the top 'andbottom portions of each door frame M so that the door is'pivotally mounted adjacent a proximal edge to swing from a closed position as illustrated in Figure 'l to an open position as illustrated in Figure 2. The distal vertical portion of the door frame, inthe event that 'a single closure for the firescreen is used, is .provided with an integral lug l8 apertured to journal a shaft I9 fitted exteriorly of the door with a knob 2| and, interiorly of the door,with a lever '22 provided with an oper'r-ended notch 23 adapted to catch, when the lever 22 is. moved, behind the head of a latch element mounted on the frame side member 1. In the event that plural doors are employed, the headed latch element 2% is mounted on the lug is of one of the doors and when it is'engaged with the notch 23 of the latch lever 22 the door will be fixedly secured to the other door. g 1

Means to hold the. doors in closed position are provided in leaf springs which are attached to the underside of the top frame member 8, frictionally bear against the top surfaces of the doors and are each provided with downwardly bent flanges 25 which engage the 'back of and serve as stops for the doors. The structure shown is merely exemplary as other catches and stops may be used which suggest themselves to those persons skilled in the art. I

The provision of the channel-section bottom frame member 5 with its flanges 26 extending toward the fireplace opening serves to reduce ash seepage, possibly caused by down-drafts in the chimney, under the member 6, onto the hearth 13 since the flanges materially lessen the degree of banking of ashes which would occur against a vertical surface of greater height, This may be further lessened by providing the member 6 with a comparatively thin metal seal strip 2'! which lies against the floor of the fireplace and serves as a more complete closure for the crack existing between the bottom of the member 6 and the hearth.

Itis also contemplated to block off the screens l5, if it is desirable to prevent excessive draft therethroug'h by placing sheet metal panels 28 in the door frame openings, pivotal spring clips 29 being provided for holding the panels in place.

I The firescreen of my invention, it will be seen, is'characterized by its minimized projection'o'utwardly beyond the face of the fireplace and is therefore not only less conspicuous but is less liable to impede or create a hazard to the movements of persons across or around the hearth. In addition the firescreen, due to the particular placement of its supporting brackets is extraordinarily stable and will resist to a surprising degree severe forces tending to upset it.

I claim:

1. A portable firescreen having an upright rectangular frame fcompri'sing a channel-section bottommember a'daptedtorest on a hearth, traversing the opening of a fireplace and having the flanges thereof facing said opening, angle-iron side members secured to and rising from the opposite ends of said bottom member, said side members ea-eh having a flange extending toward and adapted'to engage the vertical front surface of said fireplace, a channel-section top member secured to and extending between the upper ends of said side members, said top member having a flange extending toward and adapted to engage the vertical front surface of the fireplace, brackets adapted to engage said hearth and attached to said side members and lying in planes which angularly intersect frontal and side vertical surfaces of the frame, pivot pins carried by the top and bottom members adjacent the junctions with the side members, doors engaging said pivot pins and movable to selectively uncover and close said fireplace opening, and a seal "strip carried by the lower flange or said frame bottom member and adapted to engage the hearth within said opening.

2. A portable firescreen having an upright rectangular frame comprising a bottom member adapted to rest on 'a hearth and to traverse the opening of a fireplace, side members secured to and rising from the opposite ends of said bottom member, a top member extending between and secured to the upper ends of said side members, brackets mounted on said side members and lying in planes which angularly intersect frontal and side vertical surfaces of the frame, said brackets adapted to engage said hearth and adapted to retain said frame in engagement with the vertical front surface of the fireplace, a door pivotally engaged with the top and bottom frame members adjacent one of said side members and movable to positions selectively uncovering and closing said fireplace opening, and a spring member carried by said top member and resiliently engaging said door to releasably hold the latter in closed position; said spring member having a portion thereof engageable with a surface of the door to limit the movement thereof into said frame, and means carried by said bottom member adapted to engage said hearth within said opening to resist passage of ashes through the fireplace opening and between s'aid f-rame and hearth.

JOSEPH R. HYMAN.

, REFERENCES 'ol 'rnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 175,800 Wesson '1 Apr. 4, "1876 225,074 Pursen Mar. 2, 1880 jil'djild gpyner Aug. 12, 1902 795,54 Hummer 1 July 25, 1905 1,551,534 Green Aug. 21, 1928 1,7403'l86 wneelock Dec. '24, 1929 g',, 15c,79e Benedict .1 May 2, 1939 2,294,046 'Cser Aug. 25, 1942 

